I Promised

Written by Jacob Ibrag

She clawed her fingers into the pillow and imagined

ripping the world apart. Unable to tear through the

casing, she embraced the moment of defeat and laid her

head on the cold side of her bed. Clenching her eyes shut,

she’d immediately swipe away at any tear that tried to

make a breakaway. ‘He might have a few days left, maybe

a week. There isn’t much we can do except try to numb

his pain.’ She wondered about how long the doctors

took to rehearse those two lines. He was almost gone,

the only person that ever meant a thing to her. Staring

at the photo sitting by her bed side, she’d try to remember

her brother in a brighter light. Like the moment he was

born and she became a big sister. ‘I promised to always take

care of you and to never let anything bad happen. To fight

all the monsters hiding in your closet, to hug you when you

felt like giving up. No matter what happens, you’ll always

be with me. I’ll never let go of your voice and memory.’

Photographer Unknown